a lunged, the

werewolf, faster than even Lucian. She felt weightless, powerful, as i

He simply stepped asid

tone. Her breath came in short, sharp bursts, her mind torn between

ampire. She wasn't

was

ehind her, his voice calm. "Don

n-red eyes blazing. "

ar. This was always inside

d react, pain sliced through her mind. A violent

. Eyes like hers, watching as

tching her head.

watched her carefully, as

e said. "Or rather... y

ounded. "Wh

er meant to be just a werewolf. Or just a vampire." He reached

breath

her skin, another flash of memo

mind, one she had never hea

xa

ees bu

e she hit the ground. "

choed in her skull like a prophecy, a

as Ny

el like she was a

of the F

lable sending a pulse of fire through her veins. It wa

son eyes gleaming with something u

ack. "Stop playing games," she hi

arting to come together. "Nyxara," he murmured, tasting the name as if it w

ught. "The first

, slow and kn

oom s

. Nothing more. Maybe she was special, maybe sh

't somet

olves ruled the land. There were whispers of forbidden power, of a creature that could bridge both worlds." He paused, watching the

s biting into her palms. "If sh

miled. "

red through her. "Y

nished. "The second comi

k her hea

es

strength-it wasn't just a mutation. It wasn't just some side eff

. "If this is true..

d laws are failing. The balance is shifting. And when that happens

d herself as if that could stop the thi

sn't N

was

tomach, something whisp

was

the world

Her mind screamed at her to reject Lucian's words-to deny e

r. The unnatural pul

werewolf. She wasn

somethin

mured, his voice edged with

as stronger than before, wilder-pounding in a pattern she didn't recognize. A heart

shaking her head. "I do

omething sharp beneath it. "Wa

at, but before she could speak

thing she had ever felt before. It was as if her very bones were shi

expression was wary. "It's happening," h

e wall for support. Her nails d

aw

gold and crimson, flickering between wolf and vamp

't a norm

s an aw

o process it before t

el

nd untamed. His golden eyes locked onto her

was sharp with c

to speak-but what c

s a s

vampire should ev

body went rigid as he t

aid, his voice barely above a whi

t twisted.

n. Not of th

h

" He stepped closer to Aria, his fingers grazing her shoul

rkened, power rolling off him in v

Aria. "You feel it, don't you?" His voice was l

allowed

he was

inside her. A part of her that had been sl

n't jus

Nyxara

was no tur